1 Corinthians 15:4 Meaning: How Could the Third Day Be 'According to the Scriptures'?
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;
and that he was buried, and that he hath risen on the third day, according to the Writings,
and that he was buried; and that he was raised the third day, according to the scriptures;
Meaning in one sentence
Paul says Christ rose on the third day according to the Scriptures. But the Old Testament never says 'third day.' What does he mean?
Context
Paul is writing to a church in Corinth where some have begun to doubt that the dead will rise at all. He stops and reminds them of the core message he first brought them. This gospel is not something he made up. He received it, and he passed it on: Christ died for our sins, he was buried, he was raised on the third day, and he appeared to many witnesses. Everything after this chapter builds on that foundation. Paul is not arguing yet. He is simply stating what holds the whole Christian faith together.
Key Words
The Greek behind 'he was buried' (etaphē) is a single verb in the aorist tense, pointing to a finished action. They wrapped the body and placed it in the tomb. That was done and real. Then the verb changes. 'He was raised' (egēgertai) is in the perfect tense. Aorist is a single snapshot; the perfect is a photograph that keeps developing. It means he has been raised and he still lives. The resurrection is not just an event in history. It is a present reality that never stops being true. And 'Scriptures' (graphas) carries the weight of the whole Old Testament story that pointed forward to this moment.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions agree that Christ's resurrection was promised in the Old Testament, but they read the phrase 'according to the Scriptures' in slightly different ways. Some see direct prophecy: Psalm 16:10 promises that God's Holy One will not see decay, and Peter quotes this at Pentecost. Others point to patterns, Jonah in the fish for three days, the wave offering of the firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath. Still others read 'according to the Scriptures' more broadly, as meaning the whole story of Israel finds its climax in the Messiah's resurrection, not that any one verse predicted the third day explicitly. Both approaches honor the text.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, you might face something that feels final. A relationship that ended. A door that closed. A habit that has buried you so deep you cannot see light. The burial of Christ means his death was real. There was no trick. He went down into the dark. And the resurrection on the third day means the Father did not leave him there. That is the pattern for you. It does not guarantee you will get what you want by Thursday. But it does guarantee that what God has promised, he will finish. You can trust him with the thing that feels finished.
Main takeaway: Christ was truly dead and truly buried, and on the third day God raised him to a life that never ends, just as he promised
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus died and they put his body in a tomb. But three days later, he was alive again! That is the best news ever.
For ages 9, 12
Paul says Jesus was raised on the third day 'according to the Scriptures.' That means God had been planning this from the very beginning. He promised it through prophets like Isaiah and David. When Jesus rose, it proved God keeps every promise he ever made.
Questions People Ask
Does the Old Testament actually say the Messiah would rise on the third day?
No, not in so many words. But Paul sees the whole Old Testament pointing to the resurrection. He has in mind Psalm 16:10, where David says God will not let his Holy One see decay, and also the pattern of Jonah being in the fish three days, which Jesus himself connected to his own resurrection.
Why does Paul include the burial? Wouldn't it be enough to say he died and rose?
The burial proves the death was real. If Jesus had only appeared to die, the resurrection would not be a miracle. But Joseph of Arimathea placed him in a tomb. The body was gone on Sunday. The empty tomb and the burial cloths confirm that the same body that died was the one that rose.
What does 'according to the Scriptures' mean in this verse?
It means the resurrection was not a surprise. God had been revealing this plan through the Old Testament writers. The same Scriptures that foretold the suffering of the Messiah also foretold his victory over death. When it happened, it matched exactly what God had been saying for centuries.
If Christ rose on the third day, what does that mean for us?
Paul's whole argument in 1 Corinthians 15 is that Christ's resurrection guarantees the resurrection of everyone who belongs to him. He is the firstfruits. Because he lives, we will live too. Death does not have the final word, either for him or for us.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study